3016: That's the year, or around that time, when the world as we know it will cease to exist.
That prediction came from renowned physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking who on Monday warned that humanity will not survive another 1,000 years on Earth unless the human race finds another planet to live on, The Independent reported.
In a lecture on the universe and the origins of human beings at the Oxford Union debating society in England, Hawking, 74, hailed the space breakthroughs over the past five decades, describing 2016 as a "glorious time to be alive and doing research into theoretical physics."
"Our picture of the universe has changed a great deal in the last 50 years and I am happy if I have made a small contribution," he said. "The fact that we humans, who are ourselves mere fundamental particles of nature, have been able to come this close to understanding the laws that govern us and the universe is certainly a triumph."
Hawking foresees the time when scientists will get an even more precise picture of the universe. "We will map the position of millions of galaxies with the help of [super] computers like Cosmos. We will better understand our place in the universe," he said.
The physicist even expressed optimism that someday man "will be able to use gravitational waves to look right back into the heart of the Big Bang."
Hawking pointed out though that humanity's future lies not on Earth but in space. "I don't think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet," he said.
In previous statements, Hawking cited at least four possible scenarios for the end of the world, according to Business Insider.
He mentioned four possible triggers for the apocalypse: nuclear warfare, global warming, man-made viruses, and robots.
Human aggression, combined with technological advances in nuclear weaponry, may lead to mankind's demise, he told The Independent last year.
He also warned of "the worst case scenario" when "Earth will become like its sister planet Venus with a temperature of 250 [Celsius] and raining sulfuric acid" due to global warming. "The human race could not survive in those conditions," he told Storyline.
Hawking also warned that genetically engineered viruses could wipe out entire populations.
Another possible harbingers of doom are the robots, the artificial intelligence weapons being created by world powers that would be engaged in the global arms race of the future, Hawking says in a letter.
However, by the time a major global disaster hits Earth, "we may already be safe in space," he said.
"We are not going to stop making progress, or reverse it, so we have to recognise the dangers and control them," Hawking said. "I'm an optimist, and I believe we can."
